A blister package is commonly used, for example, in the pharmaceutical industry, to package pills. A sheet of colored or clear plastic, typically polyvinyl chloride (PVC), is shaped to provide a number of recesses into which individual pills are deposited. Then, a layer of paper or foil is sealed to the plastic sheet to secure the pills in the individual “blisters.” If foil is used, it is typically an aluminum foil.
When a pill is needed, pressure is applied to the pill to cause it to break through the paper or foil that seals in it place. The pill can then be taken while the remaining supply of pills is securely and sanitarily stored in the remaining blisters of the packaging.
Typically, with blister packaging, the foil or paper used to seal the blisters is pre-printed with advertising, instructions or other material desired by the manufacturer. This printing is specific to the pills or other items being blister-packaged. The pre-printed foil or paper can be supplied in rolls to the facility that will produce the final blister packaging.
If a production line is used to package a variety of different pills or other blister-packaged items, it will typically be necessary to replace the roll of foil or paper each time a new item is to be packaged. This is so that the roll of foil or paper used to seal the packaging for that item has material printed thereon that is specific and relevant to that packaged item.
Unfortunately, time and expense are required to switch the roll being used in the blister package production line. Additionally, storage space is required for the variety of pre-printed rolls of paper or foil that may be used by that particular production line. These factors increase the cost and time required to produce blister-packaged items.